Best Coffee Carafe

byAngela TempestonAugust 21, 2014

A coffee carafe can come in a range of forms but the two most commonly found ones are as part of a drip coffee maker and as a self-contained storage means. Usually, when you purchase a coffee maker, the carafe will be provided with it and you may never need to buy another one, unless an accident takes place. So the other type of coffee carafe is the kind most people will look to buy and here are a few tips about the best ones.

French Presses

In recent times, the French Press has become a popular item around kitchens and this uses a glass carafe. Also known as a plunger pot or a press pot, these coffee makers are quickly becoming a big hit with those who are fanatical about their coffee. The carafe is a cylindrical glass one with a stainless steel mesh to filter the coffee grounds from the water. This means the coffee grounds stay in the pot while the coffee is poured out.

The best recommendation about a French press is that the coffee is best drank within 10 minutes or so of making it. The coffee doesn’t sit well in the press and if you aren’t going to get through it quick enough, transfer it to a thermos.

Making coffee with a French press is simple. Warm the press by filling it with hot water before use, the pour this out when ready to make the coffee. Always boil the water before you grind up the beans to allow it to cool a little and be the perfect temperature to use. A medium grind is the best for this type of press so that the filter doesn’t get clogged.

Then simply pour the hot water over the ground coffee in the bottom of the carafe. Give it a stir with a long spoon or even a chopstick, replace the lid and leave to stand for a few minutes, depending on how strong you require it. Slowly depress the plunger, allow to settle for a moment then pour the coffee into a cup.

Thermal Coffee Carafes

Thermal coffee carafes are a little like thermal flasks and may not be for everyone but have definite benefits. Most carafes are made from glass, which means they are high on the list of things that can get broken around the house. Thermal carafes, by the nature of how they work, are made from stainless steel.

This is an example of a thermal carafe made from stainless steel and able to hold up to 68 ounces of liquid. The vacuum keeps the content warm or cold in the same way that a vacuum flask does and features a convenient, press button top to gain access to the content.

Another advantage of a thermal carafe is that it keeps the coffee warm without the risk of burning that can happen if a glass carafe is left on the warming plate. It also means that the liquid doesn’t evaporate, leaving just a coffee stain behind.

Cleaning a carafe

The glass carafe that comes with your coffee maker will have instructions on how the manufacturer has best decided on cleaning the equipment. With a thermal carafe, something as simple as a little bicarbonate of soda in some water soaking overnight if the carafe is becoming stained should do the trick. Don’t use bleach or any scouring products with them as this can spoil the inside of the carafe and mean it doesn’t do its job properly in the future.

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